FBI investigating release of minks from farm

Incident considered an act of domestic terrorism

The FBI is investigating an Aug. 14 incident in which a local mink farm was vandalized.

Grundy County Sheriff Kevin Callahan said sheriff’s deputies were called around 5 a.m. to 1875 W. Nelson Road in Morris to a farm that raises minks.

That morning the farmer found his 2,000 minks had been released from their cages and some of his property vandalized. Two pickup trucks had paint remover poured on them and his pole barn had been spray painted with “Liberation is love.”

Callahan said the farmer has been in the business a long time.

The sheriff’s office was investigating, but the FBI was called by an outside party and began investigating, he said. The FBI considers these incidents acts of domestic terrorism.

An activist group could be trying to put the farmer out of business, and it could potentially turn into more violent acts, according to the FBI.

Callahan said the FBI has not included the sheriff’s office in its investigation.